ELO Could Have Their First British Number 1 Album in 35 Years (With an Eleven Year Old Album)

Two things may be coming together to give ELO (or Electric Light Orchestra, for those not up on the latest lingo) their first number 1 album in Britain in 35 years.

First, there have been no major releases from the top tier of artists in the last couple of weeks.

Second, ELO played the veterans slot at Glastonbury this year.

Two years ago, Dolly Parton's album Blue Smoke: The Very Best of Dolly Parton spent almost three months in the British top ten after her performance at the festival. Last year, Lionel Richie's The Definitive Collection, twelve years old at the time, shot to number 1 and stayed in the top ten for five weeks.

According to the Official Charts Company, the eleven year old ELO album All Over the World: The Very Best of ELO, has a very good chance of being the number 1 album this week. It has been in the top ten for the last six weeks and is currently number 7.

All Over the World has been popular throughout its release. It initially peaked at 6 in its second week of release (June 25, 2005) and returned to the top ten in 2011 for one week and 2012 for two weeks. This is currently its tenth chart run and, by far, its most successful chart wise.

On the mid-week chart, ELO is followed by Bear Den's second album, Red Earth & Pouring Rain and Christine & the Queen's Chaleur Humaine.

ELO was last at number 1 in Britain was August 29 and September 5, 1981 with the album Time. Their only previous number 1 album was 1979's Discovery.

Bob Marley & the Wailers' Legacy is also doing well this week, coming in at number 7 mid-week. If they stay in the top ten, it will be the best run for the album since its release in 1984.

As for new albums by veteran artists, Lou Rhodes, who was the original singer for Lamb is at 52 midweek with her third solo album Theyesandeye. It's her first solo album to chart in the U.K.